Tablet Plus

XV Beacon

19.0

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From $260
Check availability as rates may vary for dates. Best rate guaranteed.

Boston needs to grow young, in the same way many of us need to grow up. Somber, red bricked, brown stoned, the keystone of New England dignity — it's almost as though the Puritans are still in residence. Enter XV Beacon (pronounced Fifteen Beacon, for those who forgot their Roman numerals), the new sign of the youthful (and moneyed) times. In the heart of the blue-blooded Beacon Hill neighborhood, XV Beacon is a forward-thinking hotel—and the first major “boutique” hotel in Boston—for those entrepreneurs to whom fashion, cutting edge design and technology are actual concerns.

There's a fax and three telephones in every room, and 24-hour room service for refugees from faraway time zones. In your bathroom, there's every sort of beauty product imaginable: not the Chanel creams that you would imagine in the dressing tables of Boston grand dames, but cheerfully luxe, animal friendly products for both sexes — buckwheat eye pillows, peppermint foot lotion, vegetable oil soaps, and even an aromatherapy jet lag package. The restaurant, appropriately named Mooo, offers a contemporary take on the classic steakhouse menu. Its wine cellar of over thirty-one thousand bottles would please any old school palate. And the sixty dignified and private rooms give the hotel a feeling of a rather elite club. The building—original Beaux Arts, all cast iron and limestone—fits effortlessly into the la-di-dah old fashioned architecture of the neighborhood.

But nothing says Boston Modern more than the décor. Throughout is the coffee palette of old New England — silver, mocha, tan, cream. The original cast iron elevator takes you to your floor. The bedrooms are gentlemanly, outfitted in dark wood and velvet bedspreads, with four-poster canopy beds and fireplaces, adding a homely touch but fully functional (and welcome) when it's snowing. Nonetheless, it's not your mother's hotel (she'll be having tea across the street at the Four Seasons). The fireplaces are floating stainless steel, and the candlesticks on your coffee table are two feet tall.

While marble busts are usually forbidding, at the Beacon they are oversized and jammed into the most unusual spots, lending a playful touch. The same goes for the broken columns scattered about on the floor at Mooo. XV Beacon is no hyper-modern industrial design fantasy. Rather its style is reminiscent of turn of the century surrealism, using familiar objects in an offbeat manner that's more René Magritte than Karim Rashid. Boston isn't ready for Barbarella sofas, nor should it ever be, as its old-fashioned Yankee aesthetic is integral to its charm. You don't love Boston for its edge, you love it for its history, and in some small part, you love it for its stodginess. Despite its stylishness, at this hotel, you'll still feel very much part of this bean town.

This hotel includes the following special privileges for Plus Members only:

Complimentary upgrade upon hotel check-in, based upon availability

Special 50% discount on parking (a savings of US$22 per night)

Guaranteed late 2:00pm check-out

Chocolate Covered Strawberries (a value of US$25)

*Please note that Tablet Plus benefits will not be applied to special promotional rates at XV Beacon. Tablet Plus amenities will only be applied to the 'Best Available Rate'

You can purchase Tablet Plus during your booking for 195 US$.
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76 Guest Reviews

All reviews are from Tablet guests with verified stays.

mary

Stayed December 2007

Rating: Poor

Review:

we did have a bad experience with the shower. there were works going on and we were unable to shower for several hours. my boyfriend got covered in dirty water. he was very annoyed. we compensated by 100 dollars but thought that this was inadequate.

Victoria

Stayed July 2007

Rating: Excellent

Review:

I have always enjoyed every stay at a Tablet hotel and have never been disappointed. They have always been beautiful and the service impeccable without being stuffy.

Jacquie

Stayed September 2006

Rating: Good

Review:

While the rooms are compact, they are quite well laid out. Very comfortable stay. Rooftop deck needs some work, but overall a great pace to stay. Perfectly convenient location for business or pleasure.